Electric iron



March w? 1945. B. G. OLWNG 2,371,257

ELECTRIC IRON Fild May 20, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet .l

/J'4 69 INVENTR.

ATTORNEY Mrch 13, 1945. B. G. oLvlNG y 2,371,257

ELECTRIC IRON Filed May 2o, 1942 l 2 sheets-*sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

y 4 BRU/Q G. O v/NG /zjj-y BY 1 Patented Mar. 13, 1 945 ELECTRIC IRON Bror G.' 0lving, Elgin, Ill., assgnor to McGraw Electric Company, Elgin, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application May 20, 1942, Serial No. 443,775

. 2 Claims.

My invention relates to electric pressing irons and has particular referenceto means for maintaining the casing of Vsuch an iron at a relatively low temperature.

Another object of my invention is' to provide relatively simple means in an electric pressing iron to prevent high temperatures occurring part on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal vertical section showing a modied form of electric pressing iron embodying my invention and taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4,

Fig. d is a cross-sectionalview on the line -t of Fig. 3, and, l

` Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the iron shown in Figs. 3 and 4, showing particularly the grill openings in the case.

The tendency in the development of electric pressing irons has been, of late, to increase the l amount of electrical energy translated into heat in the heating element of the iron. and in many cases, to reduce the weight of the iron. In many cases this has resulted in a,relative1y high ternperature occurringin the hollow casing, usually of sheet metal, during the operation of the iron. The temperature rise of that part of the casing which might be accidentally engaged by the ngers of an operator has sometimes been suffi-- ciently high to cause searing of the skin of the operators fingers and my invention is intended to prevent such accidental injury;

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the'drawings, I have there illustrated an electric pressand the depending end portions of the handlel ing iron, designated generally by the numeral Al l,

as including a soleplate I3 which may have insulatedly mounted therein a pair of electric heating elements i5 ,shown generally only in Fig. 2

vstrand of extended conformation which may be insulatedlysupported within audepressed portion of the soleplate and may be held in place by top ments, and the clamping platesl securely in proper operative heat-transmitting 'positions Within the soleplate i3 by any suitable means which it is 'believed it is not necessary to describe since this detail forms no part of my present invention.

I provide further a hollow casing i9 of a shape to conform to the shape of the soleplate i3.

I provide means for supporting the casing I9 in the desired operative position above the heated body constituted Iby the soleplate, the heating ele- This position is such that the lower edge 2l of the casing i9 is spaced above the ironing surface of the soleplate I3 as well as horizontally away from the angularly-extending outer edge of the soleplate,

the space or opening between the soleplate and the lower edge of thetcasing being shown at 23 in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The means for supporting the hollow casing above and out of contactl with the heated body may include pairs of brackets 25, each of substantially L-shape, the lower end of which may be suitably xedly supported on the heated body in any desired manner. bracket-21 of substantially inverted U-shape, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the intermediate portion of which may be secured against the under surface of the hollow casing as by short machine screws 29. The depending end portions of the bracket 21 may interfit with blocks 3i of a suitable non-heat-conducting material, which may, for example, be

vasbestos board, the upper ends of the brackets 25 and the lower ends of the bracket 21 being held in recesses in the blocks 3l by machine screws 23. It is to be noted, however! that the means illustrated and described hereinbefore for supporting the hollow casing are illustrative only and I do not desire to be limited to the particular details shown.

I provide further a handle 35 of any suitable or desired shape and which handle may be made of a moulded composition materiaL'as desired,

may be secured against the' outer surface of the hollow casing as by machine screws 3l. Itis obvious that during normal use of the iron when` clamping plates ll. These plates ll may be heldl b5 continuous use'of the pressing iron, the tempera- I provide an upper ture of the dome part of the casing may become relatively high which may result in burning the operators fingers if they are moved accidentally into contact with the casing.

I therefore provide a pair of air chutes 39 of laterally bent or arcuate form, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, which air chutes have their outer edges shaped to conform to the shape of the inner surface of the casing and be secured thereto. Reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings will indicate that each air chute extends angularly upwardly from the toe to the heel of the iron. It will be further noted by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings that the general shape of the lateral section of each air chute is arcuate and the chutegextends arcuately downwardly away from the casing.

I have indicated by the plurality of arrows 4I in Fig.' l of the drawings the general course of the air currents as they occur in an iron of this kind. The air rst enters the gap 23 followlngthe general course indicated by the arrows 43 in Fig. 2

of the drawings and after that, because of the rise of the air chute, as'shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, toward the heel of the iron, the air will tend to flow in the general direction indicated by the arrows 4I. 1

I provide a plurality of slots or elongated openings 45 in the rear end part of the casing I9 t'o permit of the egress of the convection currents of air from the air chutes and generally from the casing. The rear end portion of the casing I9 may be 'covered by a housing 41 which may be of any suitable or desired material, such as a moulded composition material, and this housing may be provided withopenings 49 therein to permit of the outilow of the convection currents of air hereinbefore described. The housing 41 may be provided with an upper integral lug 5I of such shape as to cooperate with a portion of the rear end of the casing to provide a heel rest for the iron. Any suitable or desired means may be provided to secure the housing 41 in its proper operative position. A bottom closure plate 53 may also be provided to extend between the rear end of the casing I9 and the heated body.

I may provide a bracket 55 of substantially Z- shape adapted to have insulatedly mounted thereon terminals 51, one of each of which may be connected to the terminals 59 of the heating element and to a twin conductor cord 6I,'all in a Amanner well known in the art.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawings. I have there 4shown a modified form of device embodying my invention and those parts shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 whichlare either identical with or substantially the same as similar parts shown in Figs. l and 2 are given the same number.

In this form of my invention I provide means constituted particularly by a flat plate 63 having its edges connected with the upper and outer edge portions of the air chutes 39 or with the inner surface of the wall of the casing I9, there being a closed or solid connection between the ilat plate 63 and either the air chute 39 or the casing I9.

each of the blocks 64 are inclined to the same angularly upward inclination as is the flat plate 63. The plate 63 rests on the upper inclined surfaces of the blocks 64. The upper surfaces of the blocks 64 are'individually provided with an upwardly extending circular lug 68, which extends through circular openings in the plate 63, whereby both plate 63 and casing I9 are held in proper operative position relatively to the soleplate I3.

I provide screws 1I extending downwardly through the casing I9 and threaded into thc blocks 64. The screws II force the plate 63 into contact with the upper surfaces of the blocks and the lugs 68 on blocks 64 prevent any lateral or end movement of plate 63 relatively to the blocks 64. The handle 35, casing I9 and plate 63 are therefore securely attached to the soleplate I3.

The front end portion of the casing I9 is provided with a plurality of openings 65 to permit of inflow of cooling air under the casing I9, which cooling air flows from toe to heel of the iron above the plate 63.

In order to permit of outflow of the air moving from toe to heel of the iron above the plate 63 as indicated by the arrows 61, the plate 63 may extend rearwardly a shortdistance back of the front ends of the slots lor openings 45 in the casing and may be permitted to flow outwardly through the slots 49 in the housing 41.

The convection currents of heated air trapped by the air chutes 39 will follow the general course shown by the arrows 4I and outwardly through the openings 45 and 49 as hereinbefore described.

It will be noted that that form of device embodying my invention and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will be effective to trap the convection currents of air entering the peripheral gap 23 to prevent such hotair to a substantial degree from engaging the dome part of thecasing I9.

In addition to this, the structureshown in Figs. 3, V4 and 5 of the drawings will tend to cause currents of air to enter the openings 65 at the front end of the casing, to cause such currents of air to flow toward the rear end of the iron above the plate 63 thereby still further reducing the temperature rise of such an iron.

As shown in Figs. i, 2, 3 and 4, I may provide a plate or slab 69 of heat-insulating material above the heated body to prevent radiation lof heat fromparting from the spirit and scope of the appended claims andI desire that all modifications shall be considered to be covered thereby.

I claim as my invention: 4 1. In a pressing iron, comprising a heated sole l plate, a domed hollow casing thereabove having its lower edge horizontally spaced from the outer edges of the sole plate and vertically spaced above the plane of the lower face of the sole plate and having air outlet openings in the heel end of .the casing and a horizontally-extending handle structure having a hollow rear end portion positioned above the air outlet openings in said casing and having air outlet openings in the wall l thereof, means for preventing air whichl enters the space between said sale plate and the lower edge of the casing from reaching the dome ofthe casing, said means including two air chutes oi laterally curved shape having their concave por- Y tions opening downwardly, secured tightly against structure cooperating with said air outlet openings in the heel end ofthe casing to produce a `chimney eiect to accelerate the outward flow of the heated air.

2. In a pressing iron, comprising a heated sole plate, a domed hollow casing thereabove having its lower edge horizontally'spaced from the outer edges oi' the-sole plate and vertically spaced above the plane of the lower face of the sole plate and rear edges engaging the inside surface of the cas- -ing and extending in an upwardly slanting direc- I tion from toe to heel of the iron to 'divide the space under the domed casing into an upper and a lower compartment. air inlet openings at the toe and airoutlet openings at the heel of the casing above said plate. saidr plate having an upwardly curved rear end portion ending intermediate the iront and the rear ends of the openings in the casing, laterally downwardly curved air chutes below said plate, each air chute having its outer edge in engagement with the inside surface of the casing and slanting upwardly from toe to heel of the casing, the air outlet openings in the hollow rear end portion of the handle structure cooperating with the air outlet openings in the heel of the casing to produce a chimney eiect to accelerate the outward flow or air entering said casingthrough the air inlet openings at the toe of the casing and through the space between the lower edge of the casing and the heated sole plate.

l 5 BROR G. OLVING. 

